Glossary

Don’t worry too much about this information at first. This is just a small list of words you might hear and what they mean. There’s a much more comprehensive SCA glossary on the SCA website. These are just a few words to get you past your first practice.

Golden Rapier

The Order of the Golden Rapier, usually referring to a member of that order. This is a kingdom award for rapier combat and the members of the order are typically skilled rapier fighters and contributors to the rapier community. They are often called “ogres” – (Order of the Golden Raper i.e. OGR).

Gorget (pronounced gore-jay)

A piece of armor used to protect the neck and throat

HOLD

If a sudden safety issue occurs, a marshal will call a hold. Usually by yelling “HOLD” very loudly. At that point everyone should stop what they’re doing immediately until they understand the problem. A marshal might call a hold because someone’s blade broke, or one fighter was about to run into the wall, or step in a hole. It is important to be alert for holds.

Marshal

Someone responsible for the safety of rapier combat

Mask

Typically a modern fencing mask is used in rapier combat to protect the head and face